As we know the U.S. Army has structred armor and infantry into into modular BCTs. The Heavy Combat Team is comprised of two Combined Arms Battalions: two mech infantry companies and two armor companies. The mech platoons ride around in four M2 Brads that are suppose to hold seven guys each. The standard mech platoon is unable to move a regular size platoon with three rifle squads and a weapons squad. This gives the mech commander about 100 dismounts - 200 for the battalion.

The 3rd ACR squadron/troop is organized into 3 troops with two platoons of M3s (six M3 each) and two platoons of four tanks each. How about organzing the mech platoon/CAB the same way - instead of M3 use the M2, each troop has two full-size infantry platoons with eight tanks - thats approximately 84 dismounts per troop x three troops for approximately 250 dismounts for an additional 50 dismounts for the battalion. A fourth troop or company has 14 tanks.

Question: Would this organization be effective? Has it been tried before? Is there an advantage/disadvantage to using the ACR troop organzation for mech infantry?

I guess the army could achieve the increaded manpower by adding two additonal Brads to each mech platoon in the current CAB mech companies.